Elsie in Wonderland
by Emotional Dalek
Summary: Elsabeth Hightopp, the missing daughter of Alice Kingsley and Tarrant Hightopp, ended up in Otherland living with her grandmother. But when Mrs. Kingsley dies and Elsie is sent to live with her aunt and uncle, what will she do? Crumby summary, sorry
1. Brick by Boring Brick

Okay, believe it or not, I actually have most of this written already, I just need to type it up. It's not finished yet though.

Don't own any of this, other than Elsie, if I did I (a) wouldn't be writing here and (b) I would be able to afford a decent and reliable computer.

And yes, the chapter titles are all from songs (don't own them either).

***

**1.**

"_She lives in a fairy-tale_

_Somewhere too far for us to find._

_Forgotten the taste and smell_

_Of a world that she's left behind"_

**Brick by Boring Brick ~ Paramore**

Elsabeth Hightopp, found on the doorstep by a one Helen Kingsleigh when she was six months old, was the mad, eccentric and missing daughter of the Mad Hatter and Alice Kingsleigh. Her grandmother had decided to take her in, not knowing that she was her granddaughter, because she hadn't the heart to leave the poor child in an orphanage.

It was reported to the police of course, and the note that had been pinned to Elsabeth's blanket stating her name as Elsabeth Hightopp was still being held by the police (records and all that).

Mrs. Kingsleigh had loved Elsie (everyone considered Elsabeth to be a mouthful) dearly, and pretended that she was her granddaughter (even though she really was). For you see, Alice had been missing so long that she was assumed dead, and her mother would have been shocked if she found out that she had married a decidedly mad hatter by the name of Tarrant Hightopp.

Elsie had the exact same eyes as Alice, so her mother was slightly suspicious, but she wasn't sure it was a good idea to her hopes up. Besides, apart from her eyes, Elsie looked nothing like Alice. She had wild and unruly hair that was vividly red in colour, and she was quite the palest creature Helen had ever laid her eyes upon. And she was always wearing hats. She loved hats and enjoyed making them herself. Each Christmas, all of the Kingsleigh family and close family friends would receive a hat made specially by Elsie, and they always fitted and suited their owners perfectly.

It was twelve years later that Helen Kingsleigh and Elsabeth Hightopp were travelling towards the Manchester household to visit the new baby, Alice (named after her supposedly-late aunt).

Elsie had never like her well-to-do aunt. All she ever went on about was how Mrs. Kingsleigh should have left Elsie at an orphanage and how Elsie was more trouble than she was worth. And she _always_ called Elsie either Elsabeth or Miss Hightopp, normally the latter of the two.

"Why must we go and visit aunt Margaret and uncle Lowell?" asked Elsie as they rode in the stage coach, "She hates me, and George and Michael always make me look even more of a trouble maker to their parents."

"I know dear, but they are family. We have no choice in the matter, and besides, you are always saying how much you love babies and small children - other than George and Michael of course. I'm sure you'll like baby Alice very much."

"That's if aunt Margaret lets me anywhere near her. She doesn't trust me since I dropped that teapot. It was an accident, and I _did _try my best to fix it, and-"

"Elsie."

"I'm fine," she said as she blushed bright red and looked down at her feet, hiding her face behind her green hat ashamedly.

"That's alright dear, it was an accident after all, and you were only quite small. Why Margaret gave you a tea pot full of scalding tea to carry when you were only seven is beyond me. And she did chastise you so!"

At that moment, the carriage stopped outside the old country farm house and the door was opened by their stony-faced driver. Elsie was _not _going to enjoy a week in enemy territory, but for Gran's sake (she always called Mrs. Kingsley Gran), she would try to keep on her aunt's good side and steer clear of the boys, especially Lowell who could get extremely drunk in the evenings.

"Hello mother!" said a joyous voice, "Oh, I didn't realise you would be coming as well Miss Hightopp." Elsie could hear all the joy drain from the woman's voice as she turned to her.

"Hello my dear," said Gran.

"Hello," Elsie kept her face hidden as she said this.

Margaret guided them into the kitchen where the tea was brewing. Elsie loved tea, especially strong tea. She had been told many times that she drank more tea in a day than most people do in a week! However, while in the Manchester home, she was _always _given the weakest, milkiest cup of tea. And she would very rarely get a scone with it at eleven o'clock like she did at home.

She spent the day in silence, heading back to her room after dinner to finish a hat she was making, probably for herself. It was a purple bowler hat with black polka-dots and a red ribbon on it. The lining was green and black stripes. Elsie loved this hat.

After a while, she decided to get up for more tea. Before walking into the kitchen, Elsie heard something she wasn't meant to hear.

"Why do you treat her so harshly, Margaret?" it was Gran.

"Because she doesn't belong! Have you seen her hair?! It's so, so… unnatural! And her eyes! They change colour according to her moods! And she's always got her head in the clouds. She's lost her marbles!"

"Margaret, you must know, at your age, that it is mean to judge a person on looks. And what ever happened to your father's philosophy 'all the best people are mad'?"

"It's more than _that_, you seem to see her as a replacement for Alice! Alice is gone, and she's probably never coming back! She disappeared in China, remember?"

"It is true that I miss Alice dearly-she is my daughter, what kind of woman would I be if I didn't miss my own daughter? And at first Elsie _was _a sort of replacement, but as she got older I realised that she was very similar to my Alice, but she was more like another daughter, not a replacement."

"But she's such a pest! Don't all those ridiculous hats annoy you at all?"

"Elsabeth is not a pest!" Gran was very firm, and Elsie could tell she was angry by the way her mouth had formed a thin line. "And as for the hats, they are extremely self-sufficient. She gives them to Jenny every other week to be sold at the market and uses the money to pay for new materials and something nice for herself. Although it is a very rare occasion indeed when that money does not end up going on someone else."

"I just… I don't like her. That's all. She reminds me so much of Alice that I can't bear it."

"That is not a good reason for you to make her life such a misery while she is here. A lot of the time when I go to check on her before going to bed while we are here I find that she has cried herself to sleep."

"Why are you suddenly making such an issue of this anyway?"

"I'm dieing, Margaret. The doctors say it is cancer. They've given me a month. That was two weeks ago. I have no one else to leave Elsie with. Just promise me you'll treat her well when I'm gone."

Elsie just ran. She didn't care if they had heard her or not, she just ran for her room. Why hadn't Gran told her about this? Elsie knew that Gran just didn't want her to get all worried, but still, it would mean her having to move in with _them_, and probably no more hat making.

It was that night that she started her first black hat for a funeral.


	2. The Last Beat of My Heart

Okay, thanks to everyone who favourited this and added it to their story alert lists, but reviews _would _be greatly appreciated. Here's chapter 2. Enjoy!

Once again, don't own anything except Elsie, and even then, since Lewis Carroll and Tim Burton own the rest that's debatable.

***

**2.**

"_Reach out your hands Don't turn your back Don't walk away" _

**The Last Beat of My Heart ~ Siouxsie and the Banshees**

When little Elsabeth Hightopp disappeared, her parents thought a part of their hearts had been ripped clean out of their chests. The hatter's fits of rage became much more frequent and Alice could often be seen crying quietly to herself.

Wonderland had been searched far and wide, from top to bottom for the little six-month old baby. Mirana had her knights bring Iracebeth and Stayne in for questioning, and she still didn't believe that Stayne told the truth, but they denied having any knowledge of Miss Hightopp's whereabouts.

The few years after Elsie disappeared were hard on Alice and Tarrant. Everyone thought that one of them was going to walk out, and Tarrant did, for about two hours before he felt bad about it and game bag, grovelling to his wife for days about it. She was just happy that he was back.

At the same time that Elsie was crying herself to sleep in her aunt's house, Alice was remembering the day her daughter had gone missing.

******flashback**

It was Frabjous day, there would be a ball later and a feast, attended by everyone in the White Queen's realm that could come. Alice hadn't been sure if she would go. She knew it was expected of her, and that Tarrant would stay home if she would, but Elsie was so young.

The lovely little addition to the Hightopp family was little six month old Elsabeth, named after Tarrant's sister, who had been killed by the jabberwocky. She was such a pretty little thing. She looked just like her father only she had her mother's brown eyes. Everyone loved her.

In the end, Mirana told Alice it would be fine if Elsie came with them to the ball. They could spend the night in Marmoreal and travel home in the morning.

The night started off quite well, everyone danced and had fun, and Tarrant did his famous futterwacken, suggesting that he teach Elsie (when she was a little older).

It was after dinner that it happened. Alice had left Elsie with Mallymkun so that she could have her dance with the Hatter.

Whoever had done it must have come up behind Mally, because when they got back Mally was on the floor, unconscious, and Elsie was gone. Alice had screamed and the Hatter could only stand there in shock.

No one slept that night, they were all out looking for Elsie

**end flashback**

That had been almost twelve years ago, Elsie would be eleven now. They had all forgiven Mally, she was so upset about what had happened and it wasn't her fault anyway.

There wasn't a single day went by in which Alice and Tarrant didn't feel guilt about what happened.

Five years after Elsie disappeared, Alice found she was pregnant again. However, she miscarried this child and two others. In the end, herself and Tarrant decided it would be best not to try again, it always ended in tears and broken hearts.

***

Okay, I know that it wasn't very long or cheerful, but I was pressed for time and I promise things _will _get more cheerful once I've got a few things over and done with in the story. There's a few things I need to cover as an intro which will take the first few chapters.

Press the green button, you know you want to!

V


	3. Cut Here

Chapter 3! Not a cheerful chapter at all, but I promise things will cheer up in the next chapter.

Once again, don't own anything, and Elsie is debateable for reasons already stated in the previous chapter.

***

"_Keep on making the same mistake Keep on aching the same heartbreak I wish "If only..." But "If only...." Is a wish too late…"_

**Cut Here - The Cure**

Elsie had been back in London a week, and was becoming painfully aware of all the subtle changes in her Gran. She wasn't as active as she had been. She slept a lot more. She was so pale. And then she found blood on her handkerchief when she was helping Jenny around the house.

A few days later, Elsie and her Gran were having there elevenses, when all of a sudden, Gran collapsed on the floor.

"Gran?" asked Elsie. No reply. "Gran? Gran! Jenny! Fetch the doctor! Quickly!"

But by the time Dr. Haggard got to the house, Helen Kingsley was well and truly dead.

The funeral wasn't a very big affair, just family and friends. Margaret and Lowell spent two days in London, and in all that time, Elsie only left her room when she really had to, which wasn't very often since she had Jenny put the boiling water for her tea outside her door. She packed all of her things into two suitcases, along with a few things in smaller bags.

***

It was raining when Elsie arrived at the Manchester house, and Elsie had been wearing the black hat she'd made for the funeral. Her red hair was somehow controlled, her head was kept down, and she was wearing all black.

She'd finished the purple spotted bowler while still in London, and would, hopefully, continue to make hats where she was.

Elsie spent most of the fist day staring out of window and knitting the second sock of the pair. She didn't eat much of her dinner, and spent the rest of the evening lying on her bed. Margaret didn't bother her, thank God.

The next day it was sunny, and Margaret suggested that Elsie go out to the garden for a picnic. Elsie saw an opportunity in this. She packed several dresses into the picnic basket, along with Gran's photo album, the necklace Gran had given her when she was small and the blanket she'd been found in.

She went to the back of the garden, wearing her black dress and her purple spotted hat. It was here that she spotted a white rabbit in a waist-coat.

Something compelled her to follow it, she was running through the thick forest cover, positive that her dress was getting ripped as she went. She saw the rabbit hop down a rabbit hole and before she knew what she was doing, she'd followed it in and was falling.

As she fell, Elsie saw a grand piano, a bookshelf, and a rocking chair. She had to hold her hat on her head as she fell.

When she landed, Elsie found herself in a dimly lit room, with all the doors open. (**A/N: I thought that since the White Queen was back in power and since There was an important missing child being searched for, they would leave the doors open**). She chose to take the big door, leading into white halls.

When she looked back, there was no doorway, instead there was a huge mirror, and she couldn't get back.

On seeing her reflection, Elsie couldn't help but jump. She was paler than ever, her lips were bright pink and the gap between her two front teeth was more noticeable than ever. Elsie decided that since she already looked insane, she might as well undo her hair.

"_There," _she said as she pulled the last pin from the tight bun in her hair, _"I think that goes very well with this look."_

She couldn't help but look around herself in amazement, Elsie was in the most amazing building she had ever seen.

She was looking at a large statue of a chess piece (a knight) when a woman walked round the corner and saw her.

"Um, miss?" she asked, obviously shocked.

"Oh!" Elsie jumped. "I'm so sorry! I'm not supposed to be here, am I?"

"It's fine, you startled me, is all. What's your name?"

"Elsabeth Hightopp, but everyone just calls me Elsie. And you?" The woman could only stand there, utter shock written across her face. "Ma'am?"

"I don't believe it! After all these years, you're finally back!"

"Back? What on earth are you talking about?"

"Come with me!" The woman grabbed Elsie's picnic basket and her arm and dragged Elsie along behind her.

After several twists and turns, they stopped outside a large white door.

"Now," said the woman (who's name was Ruth, as she told Elsie on the way there), "You are about to meet the White Queen, well, I suppose you've already met her really. But you were only a tiny baby at the time."

"Wait, what?! A queen?! Maybe I should sort out my hair first."

"Nonsense, she wont mind."

Ruth opened the door and Elsie heard her proclaim: "Presenting Miss Elsabeth Hightopp".

She then heard the smashing of glass and someone collapsing.

***

Okay, next chapter is going to be WAAAAAAAAAAAY more cheerful than the past few chapters J


	4. Today

Sorry it took longer than I thought it would, here's the turning point of the story, in which things become much more cheerful. Tea anyone? *Holds up virtual teapot*

***

"_Today is the greatest_

_Day I've ever known._

_Can't live for tomorrow_

_Tomorrow's much too long"_

**Today ~ Smashing Pumpkins**

Alice and Tarrant were on a visit to the queen when it happened. They generally visited around once a month, sometimes more, never less.

They had been having lunch when Ruth came in and said those wonderful words.

"Presenting miss Elsabeth Hightopp!"

Tarrant dropped his tea cup, which promptly smashed, and Alice fainted. Everyone was in such shock that they didn't notice these things.

The girl who walked through the door looked completely and utterly bewildered. Her messy red hair was sticking out all over the place from under her purple spotted hat, and she was dressed all in black (apart from the hat of course), and she was carrying a picnic basket.

The first thing Tarrant noticed (Alice probably would have noticed it too, but she was unconscious) was that Elsie looked quite sad behind the bewilderment. This worried him no end.

By the time Elsie was halfway across the room, the hatter had regained his senses and Alice was awake again. They ran towards their daughter and hugged her, making her even more bewildered than she already was.

"Um, pardon me," said Elsie, growing evermore nervous, "but who are you?"

"You didn't tell her?" It was Mirana who said this, directing it at Ruth.

"Well Majesty, I thought it would be better if she heard it from themselves."

"I suppose you were right in thinking that. Tarrant, Alice, I think it would be best if you tell her before she faints, she's looking rather faint."

"Elsie," said Alice, sounding a little nervous herself, "we're you're parents."

And then Elsie fainted.

***

Okay, I know it's really short, but there wasn't much I could write about in this chapter. The next one _will _be longer, I swear.


	5. Precious

Okay, in case you didn't already catch it, I DON'T OWN ANYTHING!

***

"_Precious and fragile things_

_Shouldn't know suffering"_

**Precious ~ Depeche Mode**

Elsie woke up in a white room, as white as the rooms aunt Margaret had warned her about that were for people like Elsie apparently. Panicking, Elsie got up and looked around.

She found that she was now wearing a long, silver, loose-fitting dress with flowers embroidered around the edges. It was on hearing the two people talking outside the slightly ajar door that she remembered the events of the previous day. Or was it a day ago? It could have been an hour, or a few hours, or a few days, or a week.

Elsie smiled as she remembered what she had found out yesterday. If she did say so herself, the man had looked a lot like her. Messy red hair, unnaturally pale, bright pink lips, gappy teeth causing a slight lisp, the only thing that didn't match were the eyes, Elsie had the woman's brown eyes.

Brushing a bit or red hair behind her ear, Elsie noticed that her fingers were in a right state. The few fingers not covered with bandages had peeling skin and were tattered, red and sore. There was a pinkish coloured line going right across her right hand from where she'd got it caught in a sewing machine. She remembered the horrible fright she'd given herself and Gran.

At the thought of Gran, Elsie found herself collapsing on the ground in tears. She wasn't over the loss of her parent figure just yet. Her parents rushed in, concerned about her.

"What's wrong?" asked her mother softly.

"I'm sorry," said Elsie, "it's just, I lost someone pretty close before I came here."

"Shh, shh, it's okay," said her father, looking concerned.

"W-where am I?"

"You're in Marmoreal," said a new voice that Elsie didn't recognise, "My palace and home."

"Where is this though? It's not like anywhere I've ever seen." The woman laughed.

"In Underland, which is where we all are. I'm the White Queen by the way, but you may call me Mirana when we're in private."

"I'm Elsabeth Hightopp, but everyone just calls me Elsie, they have done all my life. Gran said it's because Elsabeth is a bit of a mouthful."

"May I ask what your Gran's name was?"

"Helen Kingsley." Alice looked very taken aback.

"Helen Kingsley," said Alice, "was my mother."

"So _you're _the Alice she was always talking about. Aunt Margaret was being mean to me because she thought Gran was replacing you with me, I heard her say so."

"Really, Margaret should know better than to be cruel to people for things like that."

"She thinks I'm odd."

"Well, all the best people are odd, or mad, or-"

"Hatter!"

"Fez," said the hatter in a raspy whisper, "I'm fine." Elsie couldn't help but laugh a little at this, for she was exactly the same.

"C'mon," said Alice, "let's go join the tea party."

Elsie was led out to the gardens where there were flowers, trees and bushes of all shapes and sizes, and right in the middle of the garden was a long table set out with scones, muffins, pike lets, tea pots, cups, sandwiches, biscuits and all sorts of other things associated with tea parties. Seated at the table were a grey hare with a mad glint in his eye and fur matted with jam and icing and he had a terrible twitch, and a little dormouse wearing what looked like an apron and had a sword at her hip.

All of a sudden, the hare threw a teacup at the Hatter, who ducked just in time to miss it.

"Now Thackery," said the dormouse, "you mustn't throw your tea cup, we have a guest."

At this the hare bowed very gentlemanly, but the twitch was still there.

"Mallymkun, Thackery," said the Hatter, "I'd like to reintroduce you to Elsabeth Hightopp, or Elsie as she prefers to be known as."

"Elsie!" they cried out in unison. "It's so good to have you back, we thought you were dead!"

"No," said Elsie, "not dead, just a bit… lost."

"Tea?" offered the Hatter.

"Oh, yes please! I _love _tea, although I've been told I drink far too much of it."

"Nonsense, you can't have too much tea. Now, would you like green tea, earl grey, lady grey, assam or jasmine?"

"I'll have some jasmine please."

"Excellent choice," said the Hatter, sitting down in the big arm chair at the top of the table and pouring out some tea from the oriental looking peacock blue tea pot."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome my dear, please, sit." The Hatter indicated for Elsie to sit down on the pouf between himself and Alice.

"This really is a curious place, I've never seen architecture such as this."

"Well, anything's possible here you know. In Otherland you have such limits on what you can do."

"I know, and it's all endless balls and dullness."

The day went on like this, Elsie talking to her parents, Thackery and Mally, until it was quite dark, and she fell asleep.

Tarrant carried her up to bed, placing her gently on the soft bed.


	6. Chapter 6

Okay, in case you didn't already catch it, I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! Short, I know, but I have a touch of writer's block… And Lost is on. Last chapter since I want to finish things off. This was actually bottom list.

***

_I couldn't think of a song for this chapter._

When Elsie woke up, she smiled at the memories of the previous day. She had finally met her parents, as well as found somewhere she fitted in.

And then she realised.

***

_Dear Aunt Margaret,_

_I hope you're not worrying about me, but in case you are I'm perfectly fine thank you very much. You don't have to worry about me, I've found my parents! Your sister Alice is actually my mother. My father's name is Tarrant Hightopp, I don't think you'd like him very much, he's a lot like me. He's the White Queen Mirana's official hatter. If you want to keep in touch, just drop letters down the rabbit hole at the bottom of the garden. Or, you can jump down and visit us if you want!_

_Hope to get a reply soon, _

_Yours truly,_

_Elsabeth Hightopp_

***

A few months later, Margaret Manchester sat in her kitchen, baby Alice asleep in her cradle, when the maid brought the post in. Two were bills, one was a letter from a friend living in Paris, the last looked like it had been dug up from the garden.

Intrigued, Margaret picked up the grubby letter first. She smiled as she read it. Although she wouldn't admit it to anyone, Margaret had been very worried about Elsie.

She thought she was mad, but as Alice had always said, all the best people are.


End file.
